L ast week I took part in the levayah of my dear friend Rav Shlomo Pappenheim a Toldos Aharon chassid a senior figure in the Eidah Hachareidis and a rare breed of Jew. Not only was Rav Shlomo a powerhouse of a community askan who played a seminal role in establishing essential institutions such as Bayit Lepletot (an orphanage and school also known as Girls Town Jerusalem) and the original Beit Hachlamah convalescent home for women post-childbirth; he also had another rare gift. He was blessed with personal magnetism that cast a spell over his many acquaintances and admirers.
That magnetic charm stemmed from a quality of character cited by Moshe Rabbeinu in his prayer for Yehoshua bin Nun who was about to succeed him as leader of the Jewish People. According to Rashi (Bamidbar 7:16) Moshe said “G-d of spirits it is revealed and known before You that people’s minds are not alike. Appoint a leader over them who will be tolerant of every person according to his own way of thinking.” Rav Shlomo had that rare capacity for tolerance the ability to love and respect others who thought differently than he did and this won him the respect and admiration of many far beyond the boundaries of his own community.
Rav Shlomo was an Eidah Hachareidis man through and through staunch in his views able to engage anyone from any other stream of Jewish society without ever giving an inch hashkafically. And it was fascinating to see how much awe he inspired in every such encounter. When he stood up for the views of the Eidah Hachareidis speaking with courage clarity and directness people listened. It was astounding to see how his words sharp as they were were accepted even by his greatest opponents. He always won their respect because although he never minced words he spoke with the utmost respect and derech eretz to every participant in a forum.
To me Rav Shlomo was a model for all of us. I learned from his example that a Jew can hold extreme opinions while keeping his menschlichkeit. In the divisive atmosphere that prevails in Israeli society he was a remarkable exception.
